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Royals don't blame Mo for shagging flies

Royals don't blame Mo for shagging flies

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Mariano Rivera

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KANSAS CITY -- A day after Yankees closer Mariano Rivera tore the anterior crucial ligament in his right knee on the warning track at Kauffman Stadium during batting practice, the people who call the ballpark home offered their reactions.

"It's sad; it's unfortunate for him and the Yankees," Royals pitcher Aaron Crow said. "He's one of the best pitchers of all time. ... It's sad, and my prayers go out to him."

Both Crow and fellow reliever Tim Collins were surprised that something so serious could happen while doing something as simple as shagging balls during BP.

"A lot of us like to do that," Collins said. "Myself, I like to go out there and get some running in while the outfielders are hitting. It's something that, you don't go out there and think, 'I might get hurt from running around too much.' You obviously have got to be careful. It's so meaningless that you could potentially hurt yourself like he did, just shagging BP. You've got to be careful."

Royals manager Ned Yost said that he didn't expect any big changes to the way players throughout the league warm up before games, and he didn't blame Rivera's routine for the injury.

"People don't live with us; they don't understand the day-to-day, minute-by-minute preparation that goes into this game and what it takes a player to get ready," Yost said. "He was doing something as benign as shagging in the outfield. He wasn't crashing into a wall. He just went back to catch a ball, and somehow his leg gave out."